


Baby, I'm sorry to say maybe we're (not) meant to be

by samstoleaburger



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Age changes, Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Keith (Voltron) has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, M/M, Memory Alteration, Memory Loss, OR IS IT, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Relationship, Slow To Update, Tags Contain Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-12
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-07-11 08:37:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15968708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/samstoleaburger/pseuds/samstoleaburger
Summary: "Here. Take it." Lance flexed his jaw as he averted his eyes. "It's yours after all. Only right that you take it back, right?"





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First try at Voltron and not just any Voltron but an AU Voltron. Oh boy...RIP me. Also I meant 'role swap' as in, 'Same personality but slightly different scenarios.' Lions will stay the same because I may be adventurous but I ain't THAT adventurous. Also, I've only seen up until season 2. So I'm winging it but don't expect a _complete retelling_ of the entire series. Just until I got it where I need it to veer off into other waters.
> 
> Small tidbit...I was listening to Not Meant to Be (Theory of a Deadman) on repeat when I started typing this up on my laptop. So...yeah. *shrugs*
> 
> On another note: I'll be referring to Pidge as 'he' until the reveal because, yes, I loved that scene. Then I might put 'she' or 'they.' Depending on which I can remember doing without getting confused because that happens even when I'm reading it.

Pidge poked his head out of his room and cast quick but acknowledging glances from side to side. He shrugged his shoulders, gripping the straps to his bag and pulling it flush against his back. Hunk motioned for Pidge to lead the way, even though he'd adamantly pointed out, "For the record, this is a very bad idea," not even five minutes ago.  
  
Hunk's sense of adventure was relative, to put it lightly. If one were to compare Pidge's with his then they'd be lost as to how they got along so well. Even if getting Hunk to help them with a secret side-project wasn't that hard to begin with. Though Pidge might have stretched the truth some when Hunk seemed skeptical in late night frequency testing.  
  
Granted Pidge would rather do this by himself but Hunk did point out a few flaws in the system he'd rigged up one night. Said night being when Hunk had followed him after being up after hours for a late night snack in the cafeteria.  
  
Giving one last look to the left, Pidge ducked out of his room and took off to the right with Hunk in tow. After doing this for the past couple of weeks, it wasn't hard to avoid anyone monitoring the halls and even with Hunk's size, he was able to skirt on by. Or hide in a trash bin but that was one time too many on his account. Pidge, on the other hand, ducked behind his disguise or dove behind the corner they'd previously rounded.  
  
To put it simply: getting to the roof was an easy feat after said weeks.  
  
Though, as the saying goes, 'No one's streak of good luck lasts forever.'  
  
Shiro had seen them duck into the stairwell to head onto the roof. He had followed the duo initially to tell them to pack up whatever trouble they were about to get into and head back inside. Little did he realize he'd be roped into a frantic explanation from Hunk and a blunt retelling from Pidge when Hunk finally stopped to breathe. Which, granted, peaked Shiro's curiosity and he knelt down beside Pidge as he pointed out how both he and Hunk built the scanner to go as far as Kerberos.  
  
It brought back a memory of an ecstatic Keith saying how he'd been chosen to go on the Kerberos mission with Sam and Matt Holt. How his smile looked like it was about to split his face in half and how a wave of pride washed over Shiro over the news. Only to have said happiness crushed when not even a year later, Iverson informed him that there had been a pilot error and no one survived.  
  
He hadn't been convinced, if he's to be honest. Keith was the top of his class and nailed all the simulators alongside how he'd fly any hovercraft like he was _born_ for it.  
  
Now, with Pidge's explanation resurfacing old doubts and talking about some radio chatter he'd been getting, Shiro knew his gut instinct that something wasn't quite right set off alarm bells. Upon seeing his face harden, Pidge held out his notebook and motioned toward the scribbled down jibberish that he'd been picking up with Hunk. One word stood out above the rest.  
  
' _Voltron_.'  
  
"I think that whatever this 'Voltron' is, they're looking for it." Pidge reached up to remove his headphones from around his neck and pursed his lips. "And tonight the radio chatter is going crazier than before."  
  
Shiro furrowed his brow as he opened his mouth to respond but froze as his eyes snapped up from Pidge's notebook to the bright lights that suddenly lit up around the compound. Iverson's voice blared over the sirens, sternly telling everyone to return to their rooms and that the Garrison was going into a lockdown. Hunk's fretting, however, was drowned out once the pitch of the alarms rose to a near ear-splitting volume just as a ship left an orange streak in the sky before it crashed into the desert.  
  
They stared, dumbfounded yet amazed, before three sets of eyes turned to regard one another. A silent, 'What should we do?' hanging in the air. Though the answer came a minute or so later when Pidge started shoving his equipment into his bag and booked it down the stairs. Hunk followed not too long after but not without muttering about how they should just forget what they saw. Shiro, on the other hand, didn't even have to think twice before chasing after them.

* * *

Lance tugged a bandana over his nose, blocking any possible recognition of the lower half of his face, and peered around the corner of the boulder that he'd crouched behind. He cast a glance down to the device in his hand, the seconds counting down before his rigged explosives would go off and get the attention of those guarding the outside of the quarantine. Five, four, three, two...  
  
_One_.  
  
A resounding blast echoed across the landscape with a second, third and fourth following it. He could hear the panicked shouts alongside rushed orders for most of the guards to go scope out the perimeter. The roar of car engines being started overlapped one another before the heavily armed vehicles sped off to go in route of where the explosion happened.  
  
Lance gave a quick glance to see that his plan had worked just as he'd hoped and, satisfied with a job well done, he ran from his spot and ducked into the dome-like structure before the door slid shut. He pressed his back against the wall once he was inside and breathed as he listened to his surroundings. There were two sets of footsteps heading off elsewhere, one of them mentioning being amazed about how the person survived the crash Lance had witnessed not too long ago. As their voices faded, Lance snuck a glance past the wall and turned his head to watch both figures enter the room dressed to the nines in hazmat suits. The one that commented on the survivor held a tray while the other was fiddling with something while also absentmindedly responding to their companion's rant.  
  
It was almost as if whatever happened outside had nothing to do with them and that it was no concern of theirs. Not only that, but the door locked behind them the second they stepped through with a keycard in hand.  
  
Well, he could work with that.  
  
Pushing away from the wall, Lance moved further into the room and looked from side to side as he walked. Aside from the few containers that no doubt held unpleasant things, he didn't see anything that stood out to help him open the door. Picking up a clipboard as he passed one of the boxes, Lance flipped through the pages with little interest until he ran across 'Kerberos' alongside a couple scribbled observations that simply said, ' _Keith Kogane. Bionic arm. Delirious._ ' and his breath hitched just as his heart leapt up into his throat.  
  
Keith was here.  
  
Lance froze and jerked his head toward, what had to be, the observation slash operating room. His hands shook before he tightened his hold, his thumb creasing the pages, before he ripped the sheets of paper off and stuffed them into his pocket. If he was going to get Keith out of here before the higher ups showed up and the cavalry returned, he couldn't leave these behind. Not only could it get Keith in trouble, there was a high chance they'd turn him into the nearest mental institution. Or into an Area 51 guinea pig should they get their hands on him, considering he came crashing in on a _spaceship_.  
  
That still threw Lance for a loop but for now he needed to get Keith out of here and bail. Fast.  
  
He held the clipboard with a determined grimace as he made his way toward the door and slammed it into the control panel. A mechanical whirr sounded as sparks flew from the crack. The door slid open, the trail end of, "...off the charts," being heard before all three occupants in the room stopped to regard him. Lance almost found it funny how there was a momentary pause from the realization that he definitely should not be there but any trace of amusement was gone once they lunged for him.  
  
Readying his fists, Lance shifted his stance just enough before he swung his right fist forward, right smack dab in one of the masked faces. He shot his left hand out, grabbing the collar of the man's suit and twisted around to fling him against the wall outside of the room. The crack of the back of his skull hitting the wall creating a faux pause before Lance rounded on the second man and sent him flying over the medical stand. Needles, sedatives and scalpels clattered on the ground as the third occupant hesitated for a few scant seconds before he, too, tried making a full frontal assault.  
  
Dropping to the ground and bracing himself with his hands, Lance swung out his leg to knock the man's feet out from under him. Due to the sudden disruption and uneven distribution of his weight, the man toppled and slammed down on the operating table. Lance kept his position, watching as the man slid down and toppled onto the ground without so much as a groan. Slowly, after a minute of no further movement, he got back onto his feet and stepped over the slumped body with his eyes on the prone figure on the table.  
  
Lance reached out, his fingers shaking from nerves, but didn't dare touch as he breathed, "Keith." He dropped his hand to rest on the sheets and looked from the straps securing Keith's wrists to the bed to the ones on his ankles. Flexing his jaw, Lance reached for the knife strapped to his leg and spun it to face front before he sliced the restraint closest to him.  
  
The blade slid through with little to no problem, like a hot knife through butter. A hum of satisfaction was released once the last bind was cut and Lance put his knife back in its sheath. He leaned over, one hand out to grab Keith's right arm while the other was tucked under Keith's pit and hefted him up into a sitting position. As quickly and carefully as he could, Lance pulled Keith off the table and ducked his head under Keith's arm as he stood. Wrapping his arm around Keith's waist, Lance grabbed hold of Keith's wrist just as someone gasped and jerked his head up with a near snarl leaving his throat.  
  
He was prepared to take out more personnel if he really had to but it would make getting Keith out of here harder.  
  
However, who he saw was the last person he was expecting and his fingers twitched. Takashi Shirogane was standing in the doorway, a Garrison issued pistol in hand, looking as if he'd been preparing to tell Lance to put his hands up if not for the way he was looking at Keith.  
  
It was reminiscent of person who thought they'd never see someone again.  
  
Shiro blinked out of his stupor and quickly placed his gun in its case before he moved toward them. Lance nearly jerked back, his grip tightening a fraction, but stopped when Shiro held up his hands in a nonthreatening fashion. "Hey, it's okay. I'm here to help."  
  
"Can't be too careful." Lance muttered and ducked his head as Shiro took over holding up Keith's other side. Right where the metal arm was and it felt as if ten pounds had been lifted just from that alone. "We need to go _now_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *fiddles with sleeve* I should probably mention that I had from 'Shiro furrowed his brow as he opened his mouth to respond [...]' and on - yes, even chapter two - done before I even tried figuring out how to lead up to it. So if it's extremely disjointed, I'm sorry and that's the reason why.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to make it clear that I don't know a whole lot about PTSD or how to cope with it. However, if anyone does and can give me pointers, that'd be great.

Keith scrunched up his face as the sunlight brightened up the room and he could smell fresh air compared to the sterilized morbid hospital-esque environment he'd woken up to prior too. If he had to be honest, he preferred this awakening more. That and, once he gave an experimental shift, he found he could move about freely. The reprieve was temporary though as images and warnings rang through his mind at a neck breaking speed and Keith pushed himself up with more force than necessary as he sucked in lungful after lungful of air.  
  
That was right. He'd crash landed on earth and had been in and out of consciousness. When he'd finally gotten himself into sorts, coherent enough to talk, he'd pretty much begged the people that found him to listen. That they needed to find Voltron and that earth was in danger.  
  
He remembered being ignored and considered delirious. Sedated against his will. Just like back _then_ and even before then.  
  
The thought made him sick to his stomach and Keith fisted the sheets of the bed he was on. _Breathe. It's March twenty-first. The sun just came up. You're safe. It's March twenty-first. The sun just came up. You're safe. It's March twenty-first..._  
  
By the time he calmed himself down, the sun was high in the sky and he could hear someone talking and stating - more like demanding - that they go into the shack alone. That Keith was going to freak out if he was overcrowded too much, too soon. In fact, the voice, masculine, soft, was familiar and there was a niggling in the back of his mind saying he knew who this person was. Had to.  
  
The knock on the door put a stop to his thoughts and looked up as the door was cracked open. "Keith, if you're up, I'm coming in." The man waited for a few seconds before he fully opened the door and the fog surrounding the familiarity cleared at the sight of the soft smile gracing his face.  
  
"Shiro...?" Keith blinked then screwed his eyes shut as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He gave a disgruntled grumble before he lowered his hand and opened his eyes just enough to see Shiro hold up a McDonald's bag.  
  
"Hope you're hungry." Shiro lowered the bag and unrolled the top, the scent of pancakes and sausage McMuffins filling the air. He nudged the door shut with his foot before making his way toward the bed. "You had it pretty rough last night and, if you're feeling up for it, we have a lot to catch up on."  
  
Dipping his hand into the bag, Shiro pulled out a McMuffin and held it out for Keith to take before reaching for his own. Both unwrapped their breakfast and ate in silence for a good handful of minutes. The only thing breaking the silence being the muffled conversation happening outside and Keith tearing into his sandwich with a ravenous vengeance.  
  
Keith paused mid-chew and rose his gaze to look around the room. It was small, a one in all room with a covered bulletin board on the far wall. A duffle bag was tucked into the corner with a few stray articles of clothes hanging over a chair. He shifted his focus to Shiro and frowned as he swallowed. "Where are we?"  
  
"I'm not sure." Shiro set the bag down on the comforter before he crumpled up the wrapper and furrowed his brow. "After we got you out of there, Lance pretty much brought us here and we've been here all night." He motioned toward the door once he caught sight of Keith's confused look. "Lance was the one who staged a one-man rescue mission. I was going to help him, actually, because I saw that they had you and Lance probably thought I was trying to _stop him_." Shiro shrugged a shoulder and chuckled half-heartedly. "He didn't look too happy when he saw me."  
  
"I...I see." Keith stuffed the last of his McMuffin into his mouth and chewed as he crushed the tissue in his hand. He gave a low, pitiful laugh that verged on hysteria before he tossed the wrapper into the bag. "Never realized how much I missed fast food until just now."  
  
"There's some pancakes in there too." Shiro dropped his hand and let it hang between his knees. He offered up a small smile as he regarded Keith, raising a brow at the look he was sporting as he eyed the bag. "If you want them. Or I can just..." Shiro reached for the bag and snorted when Keith shot his hand out to snatch it away before Shiro's hand was even halfway there.  
  
He pulled the container out, tugging the plastic lid off with a growl of his stomach announcing just how hungry he was. Keith grabbed one of the hotcakes without ceremony and bit into it without an ounce of remorse about how he must look. Like a man that had wandered through the desert for ages and finally stumbled upon an oasis. Eating his fill without a care in the world.  
  
It was grounding. Different from the scraps he'd had shoved under his nose and tasted a hell of a lot better.  
  
It felt a whole lot like the freedom he'd been craving for _months_.  
  
It felt like _home_.  
  
A near fond expression crossed Shiro's features before he turned his focus toward the window. "Looks like our talk is going to have to wait."

* * *

He stared at the landscape after he finished eating and managed to bring himself to get up. There had been no urgency in his movements, no need to dip and dodge, no need to fight when all Keith wanted to do was rest. It was refreshing and gave him time to settle back into his own skin after he changed into a fresh set of clothes. To relax and let himself just enjoy what was in front of him.  
  
Shiro had stayed in the shack to talk with Pidge and Hunk about what they were going to do next. Lance, however, had disappeared sometime after Shiro handed Keith a cheap breakfast. Pidge said that, apparently, Lance was doing a perimeter check to make sure no one had come across them. Something about him being paranoid but Keith couldn't fault him for that.  
  
He looked down at his left hand, flexing his fingers just enough to hear the mechanical whirr of the gears shifting and adjusting. The sight of it unnerved him and it bothered him that he couldn't remember how he got it. He knew, subconsciously, that it's been months since it was given to him but the specifics eluded him.  
  
Keith took in a deep breath to calm himself before he heard a whine of an engine slowing down. He turned to face the sound and the first thing that caught Keith's eye after the hoverbike was the jacket the rider was wearing. Red melding with yellow and white, well worn and a small layer of dust decorated the sleeves from the cloud of dirt the hover bike produced.  
  
The rider hooked his finger under the bridge that connected the goggle lenses and tugged them down around his neck. Blue eyes were revealed and once they locked on Keith, they widened before a soft smile made its way across caramel colored lips. He hopped off the bike and jogged over, his smile never weavering.  
  
It hit Keith just then that this must be Lance.  
  
Lance, who was going to rescue him all by his lonesome. Who had gotten everyone breakfast and gone to be sure the Garrison hadn't tracked them. Lance, who was _wearing Keith's jacket like it was a second skin_.  
  
What the hell happened while he was gone? Did Shiro give away his jacket and forgot to inform Keith of this development? He knew it was Keith's favorite so that wasn't possible. Unless...  
  
Unless Shiro really believed he'd died during the Kerberos mission.  
  
Lance slowed to a casual walk by the time he got closer and brushed the dirt off his sleeves. "Look who's up. It took you long enough."  
  
Keith was going to snark back, he really was. Make some comment on how he'd been up for the past two and a half hours while Lance was scouting the area. How he wanted to know why Lance risked his life (more like 'freedom' but still) to get him out of quarantine. He had all of that ready but instead he said, "That's my jacket," like some five year old accusing another child of stealing their favorite toy.  
  
Instead of being put off by his tone, however, Lance just shrugged a shoulder as if he was used to Keith saying this. "Well, yeah. Kind of figured that would be better than it gathering dust and all." The corner of his lip twitched, a barely there smirk as he stared Keith dead in the eye.  
  
His smile faltered after a moment of silence and Lance's face fell as if he'd been expecting something more on Keith's end. Lance rolled his shoulders back and slipped Keith's jacket off with a tense smile taking place of the easygoing one as he gripped the collar. He thrust his arm forth, shoving it into Keith's chest with a huff.  
  
"Here. Take it." Lance flexed his jaw as he averted his eyes. "It's yours after all. Only right that you take it back, right?"  
  
There was an edge to Lance's tone that suggested otherwise but he'd pretty much given Keith permission to repossess what was rightfully his. Reaching up, he grabbed a fistful of his jacket and took it once Lance let go. He slipped his arms through the sleeves and gripped the lapels to pull it flush against his back. The residual warmth and earthy scent that Lance left behind lingering. It felt good to have it resting on his shoulders and fit like a glove compared to how Lance needed to roll up the sleeves a bit.  
  
Keith straightened his jacket as he returned his attention to Lance. "Did Shiro -"  
  
"You should head back inside. There's something you should see." Lance took a step back and pursed his lips before jerking his thumb back toward the building. "And then you can - I don't know...run off with Shiro or something."  
  
Keith furrowed his brow and watched as Lance spun on his heel to make his way back toward the shack.  
  
There was definitely something off about how Lance was acting and while he'd want to find out, there were other things that took priority. Like finding Voltron.

* * *

Despite having taken pictures of the carvings in the cave Hunk led them to, Lance had never touched them. His curiosity hadn't been that great, what with the state his mind had been in at the time and how he'd been struggling to breathe again. Now though, he brushed his fingers over one of the many lion etchings and took a step back once a luminescent blue glowed in the lines. One by one, the other carvings lit up and he felt the need to mention, "They've never done this before," as the ground below them flashed and gave out from under their feet.  
  
Five individual cries echoed through the tunnel they fell down, alarm and fear coloring a few of them. The crash into a huge puddle was not what Lance expected, given the dry atmosphere in the cave and landscape in general. Hunk's descent resulted in a tidal wave of water, submerging everyone and thoroughly drenching their clothes.  
  
Coughing and spitting out a mouthful of water, Lance sat back on his haunches with a groan as he placed a hand on his thigh. He heard Keith and Shiro groan as they got up and cast a glance over his shoulder to see Pidge and Hunk sitting up as well. The moment everyone looked up was the second they all collectively sucked in an awed breath.  
  
In front of them sat a large mechanical robot that was in the shape of a cat. All hard edges and sleek design, the blue of its armor almost blending in with the sphere surrounding it. Lance swallowed the lump that formed in his throat as he pushed up to stand and felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. It reminded him of when someone stared at the back of his head, intentions unclear and how he picked it up as some kind of weird 'sixth sense.' Though he remembered how his dad always called it 'survival instincts.'  
  
This thing was staring at them.  
  
Keith was already ahead of them in approaching it with Shiro bringing up the rear. The closer they get though, the more Lance focused on the dull golden lenses and cocked his head. A sense of observation ran down his spine, as if it was actually watching _him_ instead of everyone else.  
  
He noticed Pidge and Hunk in his peripheral and decided to ask, "Anyone else get the feeling this thing is watching them?"  
  
Pidge shot him a look before raising his brow. "No."  
  
Lance clenched his jaw and side-stepped, away from them and the feeling of being watched remained. "I swear, it's watching me." he muttered, curling his hands into loose fists.  
  
"Well, we're here." Keith pressed his hand against the, what turned out to be, barrier and frowned. "Now how do we get inside?" He shifted his hand slightly, sliding it over the blue surface as if searching for a weak point.  
  
"Should we really be doing this? I mean, we found a giant...robot..." Hunk waved his hands around, cutting himself off when he couldn't figure out how to accurately describe the scene in front of them. "Cat...thing." He whipped his head from side to side, taking in everyone else's reactions to the robot. "I'm not the only one freaked out about this, right?"  
  
Shiro hummed before he cocked his head. "This might be what they're looking for. If anything, we need to figure out how to get it somewhere far away from here if what Keith said is true."  
  
Keith gave a frustrated noise in response as his search remained fruitless in getting the barrier to lower. "Come on! There has to be a way to get in."  
  
Lance rolled his eyes and stepped up to the robot with his hand raised. "Maybe we can try _knocking_?"  
  
And so he did. Once, twice and almost a third time before the shield reverberated the sound. A ripple from where Lance's hand made contact and the barrier shuddered before it vanished. The lion's eyes lit up and it lowered its head down, atop its paws and opened its mouth. A small platform lowering in the middle of its lower jaw and Lance flicked his eyes to the side, pure, honest to goodness, shock on his face.  
  
If he had to be honest, he hadn't expected knocking to work.  
  
He looked at the opening and felt a pleased smile tug at the corner of his lip before he made his way up the platform.  
  
It led to a singular cockpit seat and Lance stepped around to the front with a noncommittal hum. He turned his head to look in the direction the seat was facing before leaning back to sit in it. Not the most comfortable but it definitely beat the ones the Garrison used for their simulator. He started leaning back to get settled but let out a gasp once it jerked forward. Right into the hub where holographic screens lit up in blue, the color scheme not letting up in the slightest once the entire cockpit was bathed in it.  
  
"Whoa...okay." Lance's eyes bounced from one screen to the next as four sets of footsteps entered the lion's head. He looked right outside the 'window' and saw the small waterfall that they'd fallen from. Clear and defined as if he was seeing it through his own eyes. "Wow."  
  
He dropped his gaze to the two physical controls he could see that reminded him of joysticks and reached out to grab them. A pleased purr rumbled through the cockpit but no one mentioned it. Almost as if they hadn't heard it in the first place.  
  
Lance tightened his hold slightly and felt his smile grow into a pleased grin. "All right. Let's see what this puppy can do." With that, he shoved the controls forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before I forget: Shiro is 31, Keith is 24, Lance and Hunk are 18 and Pidge is 16.
> 
> Just...trust me. Or don't. That's entirely up to you but all I can say in my defense is, "I'm _trying_."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's too lazy to rewrite basically all three first episodes and binge watched Voltron season one for the third time in a row? *waves hands toward self*

The fact that aliens did exist didn't phase Lance as much as it should have, if he's being honest. He could remember long conversations in the dark, under a star-filled night on a worn blanket about the myths and conspiracies that floated around. There was a hilarious debate on whether or not Slenderman was real and what he did with the children he snatched up. Lance could easily recall how riled up he'd gotten, waving his phone around with the 'Slendyfacts' on screen and how his partner had laughed themselves blue in the face. Some nights ended with him too scared to close his eyes, imaginary ghosts and mental images proving too much for him to even consider relaxing.  
  
It was nice. Simple and dumb but nice.  
  
However, they'd flown past Kerberos in five minutes and had a giant ship nearly chase them through a wormhole. Lance wasn't terrified of the concept but he was horrified of the size versus one robotic lion. Said lion that he knew absolutely nothing about aside from the brief adrenaline rush he'd gotten once they took to the skies. Even though he tore into the ship a bit, the damage couldn't truly be considered a scratch. Granted there was enough to lure their focus from Earth to them but it wasn't enough in hindsight.  
  
He didn't even know if Earth was left alone and that scared him as well.  
  
Happening upon friendly extraterrestrials, in a loose definition of the word, was interesting, to say the least. Lance hadn't been too keen on his ears being insulted but he'd had enough sense of mind to let Allura go before she got a hold of him. That and he could feel everyone else eyeing him like he was nuts to flirt with her. Especially after said Battleship Galactica they'd narrowly escaped via Blue urging him to go through the wormhole.  
  
What did it matter in the long run though?  
  
Besides having some psychotic redhead trying to drop kick him and getting into an argument with said psycho, Lance was just relieved that he hadn't accidentally lead them to their demise. Keith's twitchiness after revealing that he knew about Zarkon and how his cybernetic hand looked like it was acting up didn't help the tension any. At least, it didn't help Lance's once he noticed. Not to mention they had a huge, giant, purple _thing_ threatening to blow up the planet they're on unless they handed over the blue lion.  
  
Which meant one of two things. One: the ship they jumped from had caught up in the span of twenty or so minutes. Or two: this was a different one altogether and the previous one sent out some 'SOS' signal. Which meant vengeance. Alongside the fact they were screwed if they couldn't find all of Voltron within the span of two days.  
  
Well, them and whoever else lived on Argus.  
  
On the bright side, they knew where three of the other lions were. So that was a plus.  
  
Or not, seeing as Lance dropped Hunk like a hot potato in front of the mine entrance to give him a bit of a headstart in finding the yellow lion. All the while getting shot at. In a real life version of 'don't fuck up or you will die' versus the Garrison's simulators. That didn't make him feel any better while trying to keep the focus off of Hunk.  
  
It was going better than it could have. Blue was responding fast enough for Lance to take out as many Galra ships as he could. Granted Blue was still in the driver's seat giving him nudges on what to do but thus far, they were making a good team. He even got to pull a Galaga maneuver and felt insanely proud of himself until four of the ships turned right back around to make a beeline to the mine.  
  
_Oh no..._  
  
"No!" Lance jerked his arms back before shoving them forward as hard as he could. He let out a cry as he initiated the lasers, taking out two ships in one go. Rushing to take out the third, the fourth but -  
  
A missile was launched and slammed into the rocks above the entrance. The explosion shaking them loose and causing a pile up to cover the entire void. Which meant that Hunk's exit was also blocked and if the resulting shockwave knocked more loose...  
  
" _Hunk!_ "

* * *

Keith crossed his arms with a sigh as he watched Allura discuss the current plan of action with Coran. Alongside how she hoped everyone was all right, given how the information they had on the planets she'd sent the others to was ten thousand years old. Outdated and in serious need of an update in the state of affairs, if he's being honest.  
  
She made sure not to move either of her hands from the controls that kept the wormholes open. As doing such would snap them shut and none of them would be able to make it back. It was nerve wracking, to say the least. He was getting restless and anxious.  
  
It was like a tiger trapped in a cage, muscles bunching and clawing at the ground. All raw energy and strength waiting to be let out. To be able to do something instead of standing there with his thumb up his ass. While Keith appreciated it on Earth with nothing but desert for miles, the situation they were in was a whole other matter entirely. He was stuck there waiting for the red lion to give them a location to go pick it up while a Galra battleship was on its way to attack.  
  
He paced the room, tense and uncertain.  
  
Was he really ready to jump back in the fray against the Galra after barely managing to escape? Keith knew they needed to find Voltron and keep it from them and Allura's testament only solidified Keith's fuzzy memories on the matter. However, Allura and Coran, despite seeing their planet being destroyed slept through _years_ of development on the Galra's end. They missed all the prisoners that had been forced from their homes or, like him, taken without so much as a chance to plead their case.  
  
They weren't forced to fight and scrounge around for food. Nor did they have to watch in horror as to what the Galra and several other races considered 'entertainment.'  
  
Their hands may have gotten dirty but that was _ten thousand_ years ago.  
  
Keith still had some issues with that fact. He knew he'd been gone for a year, maybe more, but he'd seen and been forced to participate in things he would never wish upon his worst enemy. The fact that he woke up to Shiro and how everyone seemed to want to help him eased some of that pain. Slightly. Just enough to soothe a burn that had been left to scald for far too long.  
  
That being said, he didn't know what to make of Lance. Just before everything went topside, Lance had been happy to see him - thrilled even - but the second Keith mentioned his jacket, Lance had shut down. He'd told Keith to get into the shack, gave everyone a quick rundown on things and kept things brief and to the point. Even Shiro looked at Keith like he didn't understand the sudden change in Lance's demeanour. If anything, Keith was starting to get the impression that it was his fault.  
  
It left a niggling sensation in the back of his mind. Like he should be remembering something but continuously failed to grasp whatever it was.  
  
A gasp tore Keith out his his thoughts.  
  
"I have a location for the red lion!" Allura closed her eyes as the map was brought up and furrowed her brow before she opened her eyes. A distraught look crossed her features as the red lion's image flickered to life in front of her. Even Coran's face got pinched when he saw where it was and Keith's stomach twisted into a knot when Allura whispered, "Oh no..."  
  
"What?" Keith made his way over to her, his sights set on the location. "Where is it?"  
  
Coran turned to look out the window with a deep breath. "It's on the ship heading right toward us."  
  
"Coran," Keith watched as the numbers that he assumed were for distance rapidly depleted, "I thought you said it would take them a couple days to get here."  
  
"Ah, yes, well..." He held up a hand and ticked off his fingers with a nervous smile. "Finger counting is more of a math than a science, my good lad. Can't always rely on it." Coran turned his focus to Allura and pressed his lips into a thin line as she relayed the importance of the paladins returning to the wormholes since she couldn't hold them open much longer.  
  
The green lion was the first to appear and dock on the bridge leading to the castle. The blue and yellow ones were the last to arrive, one appearing more banged up than the other. Everyone had gathered in the control room, Pidge and Shiro playing coy as Lance and Hunk complained about the rough time they had on the planet they were sent to. It wasn't until Coran told them the 'good' and bad news that everything started falling apart.  
  
Hunk insisted on leaving once Lance brought it up, pointing out how the Galra followed them from Earth when they left and that they might just do the same to Arus if they ditched _now_ as opposed to later. Granted, they brought up good points on why, but Keith couldn't leave and know that should this planet suffer it would rest on their shoulders. Both Pidge and Keith opted for staying, knowing the fate it would set for the planet's residents if they went with Hunk's plan to 'worm' their way out of there.  
  
It didn't really surprise anyone when a full blown argument started to take place.  
  
"We're staying!"  
  
"No! We're leaving!"  
  
"Staying!"  
  
"Going!"  
  
Shiro held his hand up and gave a shrill whistle before shouting, "Enough!" once he lowered his hand. He turned his focus to Allura once everyone stood on their respective sides. "Princess, you know more about these lions than we do. What do you think our best course of action is?"  
  
"I..." Allura dipped her head and hunched in her shoulders with a shake of her head. "I'm not sure."  
  
Coran cocked his head before placing a hand on Allura's shoulder, waiting until she looked up to mention that perhaps her father might know what to do. Allura's surprise and confusion mirrored everyone else's until Coran led her out of the room. They watched as the two rounded a corner before the door slid shut.  
  
There was a moment of anticipatory silence before Hunk broke it. "For the record, I still think leaving is the best option."

* * *

Once Allura returned, both looking ready and dressed to kill, the answer on whether or not to stay was obvious as day before she even said it. She held her head high and her tone brooked no argument, making it crystal clear that she was prepared to fight. Even more so when Shiro backed her up on her decision. Which, realistically, overruled Lance and Hunk's suggestion and forced them to buckle down with the majority.  
  
Still, Keith felt better knowing they were going to fight instead of turn tail and run. Especially not when he remembers with terrifying clarity what will happen to those who try and resist Zarkon. Those left defenseless and helpless to help themselves. All the blood and horrified screams. Screams he, himself, had caused in the ring just to survive another day.  
  
Bloodied hands that will remain such but at least he now has a choice in whose blood they'll be drenched in.  
  
Keith knows, deep down, that it's a morbid thought to find some comfort in. That he'd rather have Galra blood on his hands as compared to innocents'. Would rather hear those at fault's screams of terror over the pleas of those wanting to see tomorrow. Those types of thoughts are a downward spiral that Keith should avoid but isn't. It's dark and chokes him whenever he takes the briefest of moments to actually _think_ about it.  
  
Which is why he's glad that they've got a location on the red lion and that he has a task to focus on. Get inside, find the lion, bond with the lion, get in the pilot's seat and get out of the ship. Easy. Simple. Straight forward.  
  
Doing it, however, is a whole other story once Shiro, Keith and Pidge manage to sneak aboard the Galra ship while Lance and Hunk run interference. All it takes is Keith looking past Shiro, down one specific corridor and he's remembers being on this ship before. Once upon a time in days' past, previously forgotten and buried in the darkest recesses of his mind. He mentions it, absentmindedly, and suddenly Pidge is all up in arms about freeing any potential prisoners. Then again, given what snippets he can grasp, 'potential' usually ends up as a loose definition of the term and immediately swapped with 'definite.'  
  
"I can give you directions on where to find the prisoners but I can't go with you." Keith flexes his jaw as Pidge regards him, eyes stern and determination etched in his features. "Go down that hallway. You'll reach an area that's got green and purple lights. Take the path that's green." He turns his gaze to Shiro as he finishes telling Pidge which ways to take and which ones to avoid at all costs. The unspoken, 'Go with Pidge,' is picked up on and they go their separate ways.  
  
While Keith would rather Shiro have a bayard to keep him safe, they don't have a choice in the matter. He just hopes that Pidge can manage to keep them and whoever they save safe.  
  
That being said...  
  
When Allura said the red lion was the most difficult to master and that it was temperamental, Keith felt as if she should have added that bonding with it was _suicidal_ and not for the faint of heart. Being shot out into the vacuum of space after doing such to the sentries with little to no way to reach the control panel again was nothing short of terrifying. He was pretty sure that if the lion hadn't decided to give him a lift at that point, he would have been floating around until he either died or until Shiro realized that Keith had yet to fly off into the metaphorical sunset with said robotic cat.  
  
Hell, he didn't even know if his helmet had a comm system. All they'd been briefed on about their armor was that it auto-adjusted itself to fit their physique and that their bayards were stored in some form of pocket dimension until they summoned it into existence. While useful at the time, Keith would have rather known if there were some sort of way to contact his team as opposed to having a near panic attack in the void.  
  
Luckily the red lion decided he was worthy and, in hindsight, Keith figured out his _arm_ was a weapon as well. So, technically, he could borrow his bayard to Shiro until they find the black one or made a replacement.  
  
All in all, things were looking up for team Voltron.  
  
"Good kitty."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, as to this line: 'Hell, he didn't even know if his helmet had a comm system.' I want to just point out that I hadn't seen them use it once until they finally form Voltron. So I was under the impression that they weren't exactly told about every single trick of their suit.


End file.
